READ.ME Blinker 1.30 Update 90.09.10
------- ------------------- --------

This update from Blinker 1.20 to Blinker 1.30 consists of this file
READ.ME, the EXE file BLIUPD.EXE and 3RDPARTY, a compatibility chart
of 3rd party libraries.

The text of the new 160+ page manual to be shipped with the Clipper
5.0 compatible BLINKER 1.5 is available in a separate file BLIMAN.ZIP
which should be distributed along with this update file BLI130.ZIP.
The documentation file will also be sent on the update disk being
sent to all purchasers of BLINKER within the next few days.

Please read the notes at the end of this file which describe
BLINKER's new incremental mode.


Installing the update
---------------------

To install the update please change directory to the Blinker
directory, copy these files into the directory and then run BLIUPD by
typing BLIUPD at the DOS prompt.

Please ensure that the BLINKER.EXE present in this directory is
version 1.20, and not any other version.

The program will display a message explaining that a new file
BLI130.EXE will be created in the current directory. This file is the
new Blinker 1.30 with the same serial number as the BLINKER.EXE in
the current directory, and should be renamed or copied over the top
of the old BLINKER.EXE

We now have a BBS operational 24 hours a day 7 days a week which may be
used for technical support and to get the up to date news about Blink
Inc. and Blinker. The number is :

804-355-1111 US Robotics 1200 - 9600 N,8,1

Feel free to log on and join in - this is the best way to keep up to
date with what is going on, to get the latest news on overlayable
libraries etc, and the quickest way to get information about YOUR
libraries onto the list !!

Our address and contact details have also changed recently to :

P.O. Box 7154,
Richmond, VA 23221.

Sales : 804-355-4444
Support : 804-353-0137/8
FAX : 804-355-1676

Please note that the free upgrade to version 1.5 which will be Clipper
5.0 compatible is still to come, and will be shipped to all registered
users of Blinker once Clipper 5.0 is finalised. The 1.5 update will
also contain a number of new features yet to be announced.

PLEASE ENSURE YOU HAVE RETURNED YOUR REGISTRATION CARD TO PREVENT ANY
DELAY IN THE SHIPPING OF YOUR UPGRADES AND TO FACILITATE TECHNICAL
SUPPORT. WITH OUR PREVIOUS UPDATE A NUMBER OF DISKS SENT TO THE
INVOICE ADDRESS WERE NOT RECEIVED SO WE ARE NOW ONLY USING THE
REGISTRATION ADDRESS.


Incremental linking
-------------------

This BLINKER defaults to incremental linking, which creates a file
with the same name as the .EXE file with an extension of .BIF
(BLINKER INCREMENTAL FILE). When BLINKER is run the second time and
this file exists it will check if each file has changed, and only
relink the one(s) that have. This only applies to Clipper Summer '87
files at this stage, if any other file is changed a full link is
forced.

Each Clipper procedure defaults to 128 bytes of padding when you
first link incrementally, and this space is used if you increase a
procedure slightly. The command BLINKER INCREMENTAL PAD nnn allows
you increase this padding on a procedure (segment) basis to control
the amount of room left for expansion of each individual procedure.
If you exceed this padding then BLINKER will display a mwssage
indicating that this has happened and force a full link of the
application to recreate the .EXE with the new .OBJs

To force a full link the easiest way is to delete the .BIF file.

NOTE: The final link of an application before distributing it should
be made with incremental linking disabled using the command BLINKER
INCREMENTAL OFF. This will ensure the smalles .EXE and .OVL files and
the smallest memory requirements at run time.


Error messages
--------------

1006: aaaaaa: padding truncated to fit within 64Kb

This message is a warning that a procedure in the named file has a size
close enough to the 64kb limit to mean that there is not enough space to
add the full padding for incremental linking.

Blinker automatically truncates the padding to ensure that the 64 kb is
not exceeded, but it is more efficient for overlaying and good
programming practice to keep procedure size down, typically to a few
hundred lines.


1007: unable to perform an incremental link

This message indicates that the application has been changed so much
that an incremental link could not be performed, so a full link will be
performed to re-create the application program and the incremental link file.

This can occur for a number of reasons, the usual ones being that the
order of files in the link script file have been changed or that the
application is being linked with a different link script file to the
previous one.

1008: aaaaaa: invalid incremental link file

This message indicates that a previous incremental link was aborted
unsuccessfully and left an incomplete incremental link file named
aaaaaa, so a full link will be performed to recreate the incremental
link file.

1009: aaaaaa: file cannot be linked incrementally

This message indicates that while attempting to link the application
incrementally it found that the file aaaaaa is not Clipper Summer 87 had
changed, and incremental linking of non-Clipper S87 files is not yet
supported.

A full link will be performed to recreate the application program and
the incremental link file.


1010: aaaaaa: no space available for incremental link of file

This message indicates that the file has become to large to fit in the
space reserved for it when the last full link was performed. Use the
BLINKER INCREMENTAL PAD nnn to increase the padding made to each Clipper
PROCEDURE or FUNCTION (default is 128 bytes).

A full link will be performed to recreate the application program and
the incremental link file.


1120: incremental link file is too large

This message indicates that the incremental link file created by BLINKER
has exceeded the maximum allowable size. If you receive this messages
please contact BLINKER technical support with exact details of the
circumstances causing the error.


New commands
------------

BLINKER INCREMENTAL OFF Turns off incremental
linking This should be used
for the final link of the
application to remove the
padding used during
incremental linking.

BLINKER INCREMENTAL PAD nnn Padding to be added to each
procedure - defaults to 128d
per procedure

BLINKER INCREMENTAL FILE Specify alternative to .BIF
file name